Mahabharata · 1.168.19–20
॥
Devanāgarī
संसिक्तमृष्टपन्थानं पताकोच्छ्रयभूषितम् ॥
मनः प्रह्लादयाम् आसा तस्य तत् पुरम् उत्तमम् ॥
तुष्टपुष्टजनाकीर्णा सा पुरी कुरुनन्दन ॥
अशोभत तदा तेन शक्रेणेवामरावती ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
saṃsiktamṛṣṭapanthānaṃ patākocchrayabhūṣitam ||
manaḥ prahlādayām āsā tasya tat puram uttamam ||
tuṣṭapuṣṭajanākīrṇā sā purī kurunandana ||
aśobhata tadā tena śakreṇevāmarāvatī ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
संसिक्तमृष्टपन्थानं पताकोच्छ्रयभूषितम्saṃsiktamṛṣṭapanthānaṃ patākocchrayabhūṣitamthe city, with its streets watered and swept clean, adorned with raised banners,
मनः प्रह्लादयाम् आस तस्य तत् पुरम् उत्तमम्manaḥ prahlādayām āsa tasya tat puram uttamamthat best of cities gladdened his heart;
तुष्टपुष्टजनाकीर्णा सा पुरी कुरुनन्दनtuṣṭapuṣṭajanākīrṇā sā purī kurunandanathat city, full of contented, well-fed people, O joy of the Kurus,
अशोभत तदा तेन शक्रेण इव अमरावतीaśobhata tadā tena śakreṇa iva amarāvatīshone then together with him, as Amaravati shines with Shakra;
आसाāsāoriginal form "āsā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शक्रेणेवामरावतीśakreṇevāmarāvatīoriginal form "śakreṇevāmarāvatī", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"That best of cities, its streets watered and swept clean, adorned with raised banners, gladdened his heart; full of contented, well-fed people, it shone then together with him, O joy of the Kurus, as Amaravati shines with Shakra."
Version
badeed17e552 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the city's prosperity shows the fruit of righteous rule. It is telling that the people are "content and well-fed": under a good sovereign, the subjects are fed and joyful, and the city itself shines. The flourishing of the land is the visible fruit of the ruler's dharma: where the king is righteous, the realm blossoms. Thus the text reveals the connection between the people's welfare and the righteousness of power; and Ayodhya, likened to the city of the gods, testifies to the king's restored piety.